History Videogame / ArmA

** ''Queen's Gambit'': A modest expansion pack, containing a small new island and a new campaign.

* ''ARMA Reforger'' (2022): ''Reforger'' is a title using Bohemia's newest ''Enfusion'' UsefulNotes/GameEngine (also used in the standalone ''VideoGame/DayZ''), and the first to be released on consoles. ''Reforger'' serves as a TechDemoGame of the Enfusion engine and its new systems, meant to showcase what the new engine is capable of in terms of gameplay, modding, graphics, and more, with heavy focus on multiplayer, and also to set the foundations for ''ARMA 4'', as the game is poised to become a "creative platform", focused on [[GameMod modding]] and modularity. The gameplay gives emphasis to streamlining, refining and modernizing most systems while keeping ARMA's traditional tactical military simulation. The setting is four years after the original ''Operation Flashpoint'', set on the island of Everon during the Cold War in a conflict between the United States, Soviet Union and the FIA rebels.

* FriendlySniper: Lt. James in ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''The East Wind'' campaign. For Miller's [[TheLancer right hand man]], he's quite friendly with Kerry and the Task Force survivors, and uses his signature [[CoolGuns Mk14 EBR]] marksman rifle. Although he uses combat optics rather than a sniper scope, he still fulfills the role. [[spoiler:Unless you see Miller as the bad guy, which means he's TheDragon.]]

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Definitely the case for ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''First Contact'' campaign. The LDF is [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned]] but is motivated by misguided beliefs to prevent alien incursion on their country. And NATO [[spoiler: and Russians]], who know better, are trying to stop them from destroying the alien core that would potentially led to the devastation of a large chunk of Europe ''at best'' and the entire Earth at worst. While the aliens are mostly keeping by themselves and only retaliates against NATO and LDF forces after the latter mistaking them to be hostile and opens fire.

** ''Private Military Company'' (release date November 30, 2010): DLC expansion pack and sequel to ''British Armed Forces'', adds a [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Private Military Company]] named ''Ion Services, inc.'' with a deeper storyline and a moral choice.

* ''ARMA II: Firing Range'' (2011): A mobile spin-off where you [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin shoot targets at a firing range]].

** ''ARMA III: Contact'' (2019): The second major expansion for ''ARMA III''. Set in the rural region of Nadbór in the fictional country of Livonia[[note]]Not to be mistaken for the region of Livonia, which is now split between Estonia and Latvia, or the Livonian people, of which there are little under 300 left as of 2011 (though many Latvians identify as having Livonian heritage), or the Livonian Order, an offshoot of the UsefulNotes/TheTeutonicKnights[[/note]], featuring the Livonian Defense Forces and Russian Spetsnaz, new vehicles, drones, weapons. Oh, and of course, ''[[AlienSpaceBats Aliens]]''.

*** ''S.O.G. Prairie Fire'' (2021): Set in the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar, with focus on the MACV-SOG's operations in Indochina. Featuring the MACV, the [[UsefulNotes/VietnameseWithKalashnikovs Viet Cong]], and the armies of North and [[UsefulNotes/SouthVietnameseWithSkyraiders South Vietnam]]; the map "Cam Lao Nam", which loosely resembles the geography of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam combined; as well as a co-op campaign following the MACV-SOG's operation in the Ho Chi Minh trail and a brand new multiplayer mode "MIKE Force", a counter-insurgency [=PvE=] mode.

* AnachronicOrder: The ''Apex Protocol'' campaign begins {{In Medias Res}}. The first mission is chronologically the fourth, after which it jumps back to show HowWeGotHere, before the rest of the story picks up where it left off from the fifth mission onward.

* DangerRoomColdOpen: ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''First Contact'' campaign begins {{In Medias Res}}, with a NATO squad in combat with the Livonian Defense Force.[[note]][[FiveSecondForeshadowing who are themselves part of NATO]][[/note]] After losing their APC and continuing on foot to disable LDF [=UGVs=], the player, a drone specialist, enters a control facility to disable them when he is held at gunpoint by a Livonian soldier. The specialist quips about them getting extra points for shooting them in the back, so the Livonian soldier shoots the specialist in the front—with training rounds. Cut to the exercise debriefing.

* FutureCopter: ''ARMA III'' is full of these, with the UH-80 Ghost Hawk and AH-99 Blackfoot looking the most futuristic. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] because both are based on real-life prototypes. The only exception is the ''Apex'' DLC's CSAT Pacific faction's futuristic VTOL aircraft ''Y-32 Xi'an'', looking something straight out of a MilitaryScienceFiction setting.

* HowWeGotHere: ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''Apex Protocol'' campaign starts {{In Medias Res}} with the raider teams in the first mission attempting to secure... ''something'', without knowing if they succeeded or not. The next few missions fall under this trope.

* LandMineGoesClick: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] by [[spoiler:Adams' death]] in ''ARMA III''. The mine goes "beep" when stepped on, then explodes ''instantly'' with no chance of survival.

* MildlyMilitary: Gameplay aside (where you can go as [[BunnyEarsLawyer bunny ears]] as the server and game mods allow), ''The East Wind'' in ''ARMA III'' is one of the few justified and believable examples. Early in the campaign, the Task Force stationed at Stratis is more or less a skeleton crew lazily packing up to go home, with lax discipline and lots of fraternization and mild disrespect. But when shit hits the fan, the Task Force, after the usual chaos following an attack, [[LetsGetDangerous bands together and proceeds to]] take back the island in a ''single day'' with no logistics or external support, succeeding in their objectives [[spoiler:at least before CSAT ruins the fun]].

** All the rocket/recoilless weapons for some reason (they were realistic in VideoGame/OperationFlashpoint).

** The first level of the second act is [[spoiler:waking up ashore as the sole survivor of the task force]] with zero gear in an unknown location. to make matters worse, there is a CSAT-AAF full scale counter offensive on the nearby city (patrol boats, [[TankGoodness tanks]],[[AwesomePersonnelCarrier APCs]], planes, helicopters, infantry, fortified outposts, you name it) and you have to cross it alone to reach some friendlies across the mountains.

* OutOfGenreExperience: Several missions in the series are less tactical shooters and more [[EnvironmentalNarrativeGame Environmental Narrative Games]] in their own right: The ''Art of War'' scenario is a prime example. Here, the player visits the (fictional) Lars Blanken Gallery in Amsterdam. That's it. They're left to explore a sizeable collection of some really good art (''ARMA'' fan creations, presented in a lore-friendly environment) and to deliberate on the nature of war, the increasingly dehumanising future of warfare, and most importantly, what can be done to make war as just and humane as possible.

* PoliceAreUseless: The Gendarmerie from ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''Apex'' DLC. They only appear in one mission in the ''Apex Protocol'' campaign, and are severely underequipped, armed with basic P07 pistols and Protector submachine guns (both 9 mm, the latter being one of the worst-performing [=SMGs=] in the game), wearing just basic ballistic vests to protect themselves with only caps and berets as headgear, and driving completely unarmored pickup trucks and vans. Mind you, they're going up against Syndikat, who regularly pack [=AKs=], [=RPG-7s=], and technicals, and during ''Apex Protocol'' manage to whoop the Gendarmerie so badly that they lose control of several areas of Tanoa and see high-ranking gendarmes targeted by Syndikat. Their weaknesses are somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] though, seeing the Gendarmerie is merely the police force of a small archipelago and not a proper military equipped for fighting wars, the Horizon Islands had just been devastated by a natural disaster, and [[spoiler:Syndikat is being funded and armed by CSAT]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the ''Old Man'' mini-campaign, set in 2038 when CSAT begins assisting the Horizon Islands' government. The Gendarmerie now has access to tactical teams with proper combat helmets, assault rifles, personal defense weapons, machine guns, and the ability to mount an effective response to Syndikat/L'Ensemble activities, though their vehicle and body armor situation hasn't really improved, and they're still a step below CSAT troops.

** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''ARMA III'', where the USMC does not appear at all and is never mentioned; the NATO personnel seen in-game are mostly U.S. Army soldiers, at least from what's directly confirmed. However, early renditions of ''The East Wind'' campaign indicate this was apparently meant to be [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] instead, as a USMC Marine Expeditionary Unit would have appeared, only to be almost completely annihilated at the start of the campaign.

* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The FIA sees themselves like this, and truth be told, the sentiment seems acknowledged by NATO, despite being considered hostile. Indeed, while NATO is there to secure a foothold against CSAT and ensure a lasting peace treaty, the biggest obstacle to get everyone in the negotiating table seems to be the AAF themselves (your supposed allies, see SpannerInTheWorks)
-->'''Sgt. Adams:''' ''[looking at unarmed civilians gunned down by a the AAF]'' The FIA won't react kindly to this.

** The Altian goverment is more lowkey about its supposedly democratic nature, but no less bloodthisrty. Played straight in the ''Tac-Ops'' DLC's '', showing who they really were and how they came to power.
* PoliceAreUseless: The Gendarmerie from ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''Apex'' DLC. They only appear in one mission in the ''Apex Protocol'' campaign, and are severely underequipped, armed with basic P07 pistols and Protector submachine guns (both 9 mm, the latter being one of the worst-performing [=SMGs=] in the game), wearing just basic ballistic vests to protect themselves (only caps and berets as headgear), and driving completely unarmored pickup trucks and vans. Mind you, they're going up against Syndikat, who regularly pack [=AKs=], [=RPG-7s=], and technicals, and during ''Apex Protocol'' manage to whoop the Gendarmerie so badly that they lose control of several areas of Tanoa and see high-ranking gendarmes targeted by Syndikat. Their weaknesses are somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] though, seeing the Gendarmerie is merely the police force of a small archipelago and not a proper military equipped for fighting wars, the Horizon Islands had just been devastated by a natural disaster, and [[spoiler:Syndikat is being funded and armed by CSAT]].

** You'll have to do your best imitating RealLife military tactics to win the game, and no one ever says their jobs are easy. ''ARMA III'' takes it up a notch with its showcases, which serve as ''tutorials'' mind you, often being insane one-man commando missions. A good example is the "Night" showcase, where you're dropped off in an enemy-infested area under the cover of darkness and tasked with single-handedly causing as much havoc as possible. ''By yourself.'' '''Without night vision goggles'''.

** The same applies to combat away from towns. NPC enemies will likely see you coming if you're not prone, and will send a storm of lead your way when they do. Even if you hide, they will continue to light up your last known position until even the cockroaches are dead, and will still keep an eagle-eyed watch in that direction afterwards. If you don't want to die, get behind some topography and get the hell elsewhere and ''make sure they don't see you doing it.'' From there, you can either flank them or run away. Keep in mind that [[ArtificialBrilliance just because they're focused on where they last saw you doesn't mean they never look anywhere else]]. If they have the high ground and you don't have a creek bed or other terrain feature to crawl into, consider yourself screwed.

* NoCampaignForTheWicked: Averted somewhat in ''ARMA III'', where you get to play [[DeathFromAbove a CSAT gunship pilot]] in a couple of Showcases. And sort of a retroactive example with the bootcamp update: The guerrillas that take you in as a member in the second act of the campaign are the same you were aiding the local government (your former allies) to hunt until they betrayed your taskforce, [[EnemyMine forcing you to join guerrilla ranks in order to survive]]. Inverted in the ''Tanks'' DLC's ''Altis Requiem'' mini-campaign, where you play as an AAF NCO since the campaign is there mainly to showcase the new Angara tank.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: A particular brutal example in the finale of the "Win" episode of ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''The East Wind'' campaign. To elaborate: during the campaign you end up assisting a British SIS taskforce while taking part in a resistance movement with local guerrillas. After rejoining NATO you are instructed to not to get anywhere near any members of the taskforce if you ever see or hear of them, and disregard any communication you get. Right before NATO's final attack on the enemy HQ a wounded SIS soldier (whom you befriended) calls you to meet him in a location in the middle of nowhere. You can choose: Do you leave him to die and follow the orders? The attack succeeds, [[EarnYourHappyEnding enemy forces surrender, Altis is free, war is over, roll credits]]. Do you go [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight help him against the orders]]? [[spoiler:You find him dying in the aftermath of a botched SIS assault on a secret compound, he asks you to fight your way through remaining enemy troops and retrieve and deliver what is implied to be an EarthquakeMachine to the rest of the taskforce. [[FromBadToWorse That's not the bad part.]] After delivering the device, the captain proceeds to extract the weapon, but promises you answers if you wait there for his return. Night falls and you are informed that they can't (or won't) come back, meaning you are left stranded in the countryside, forcing you to find your way to the bulk of the army you just deserted earlier. [[RuleOfThree It gets worse:]] not only was the main attack a failure, but now, besides NATO scrambling to regroup and evacuate the island, the two enemy armies that used to be allies are fighting each others as well as NATO which means you're gonna have to make your way singlehandedly through the free for all clusterfuck of a warzone that the country has become, in order to find a way of the island. Have fun!]]
** [[spoiler:What's even worse is that in the ''Apex Protocol'' campaign, the aforementioned EarthquakeMachine is recovered by NATO forces, so not only is that ending non-canon, even if it were canon, it would have meant that [[AllForNothing Sgt. Kelly's actions, which robbed NATO of their victory over the AAF and presumably got him labelled as a deserter, would have been for nought]] because ''it would have been recovered a month later anyway.'']]

** Averted, after reloading, magazines with bullets left are put back in the player's inventory and can be reloaded again later at any time (the character however will always prioritize full mags when reloading, as long as there are available). [[note]] This leads to a FridgeLogic problem, in which if a magazine is reloaded with ammo still in it, the bullet in the chamber should remain there, putting your total ammo in the gun one bullet higher[[/note]].

* OrphanedSeries: ''ARMA: Armed Assault'' eventually became this when BIS decided not to create any more official content for it and moved on to produce a more polished and improved sequel. Many fans and reviewers felt that this was fairly justified, since the game was still too much like the original ''OFP'', despite implementing several new features and technical improvements[[note]]the CEO later admitted that ''ARMA: Armed Assault'' was essentially itself an attempt to put out ''something'' within budget and ''on time'', and ''not'' a labor of love[[/note]]. The fact that some of the new stuff was often pretty buggy to begin with and not always well thought out (particularly the implementation of actual tall grass for stealth and the oft overcompetent enemy AI) all added to the game prematurely fading in popularity and not gaining as big a modder base as ''OFP'' or ''ARMA II''. The sequel was also launched less than two years after ''AA'', so most of the fanbase made the hop to ''ARMA II'' fairly quickly. On the other hand, given how buggy ''ARMA II'' was on release (and still is to some extent), the problems are not completely endemic to ''ARMA: Armed Assault''.
* OutOfGenreExperience: Several missions in the series are less tactical shooters and more [[EnvironmentalNarrativeGame Environmental Narrative Games]] in their own right: The ''Art of War'' scenario is a prime example. Here, the player visits the (fictional) Lars Blanken Gallery in Amsterdam. That's it. They're left to explore a sizeable collection of some really good art (''ARMA'' fan creations, presented in a lore-friendly environment) and to deliberate on the nature of war, the increasingly dehumanising future of warfare, and - most importantly - what can be done to make war as just and humane as possible.

** The Democratic Republic of Sahrani (DRS), or "North Sahrani", in ''ARMA: Armed Assault'', is basically a Hispanic version of North Korea (with a touch of Cuba). In ''ARMA II'', Chernarus used to be this, and some of the in-game factions would like if it stayed that way.
** Takistan is a dictadorship lead by Colonel Muhammad R. Aziz, who was a socialist rebel leader supported by the Soviet Union against the Royalist government of the Kingdom of Takistan. Aziz would later rule Takistan with an iron fist, and threatening their southern nation of Karzeghistan, leading to the events of Operation Arrowhead.

* PoliceAreUseless: The Gendarmerie from ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''Apex'' DLC. They only appear in one mission in the ''Apex Protocol'' campaign, and are severely underequipped, armed with basic P07 pistols and Protector submachine guns (both 9mm, the latter being one of the worst-performing [=SMGs=] in the game), wearing basic ballistic vests to protect themselves (only caps and berets as headgear), and driving completely unarmored pickup trucks and vans. Mind you, they're going up against Syndikat, who regularly pack [=AKs=], [=RPG-7s=], and technicals, and during ''Apex Protocol'' manage to whoop the Gendarmerie so badly that they lose control of several areas of Tanoa and see high-ranking gendarmes targeted by Syndikat. Their weaknesses are somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] though, seeing the Gendarmerie is merely the police force of a small archipelago and not a proper military equipped for warfighting, the Horizon Islands had just been devastated by a natural disaster, and [[spoiler:Syndikat is being funded and armed by CSAT]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the ''Old Man'' mini-campaign, set in 2038 when CSAT begins assisting the Horizon Islands' government. The Gendarmerie now has access to tactical teams with proper combat helmets, assault rifles, personal defense weapons, light machine guns, and the ability to mount an effective response to Syndikat/L'Ensemble activities, though their vehicle and body armor situation hasn't really improved, and they're still a step below actual CSAT troops.

* RedScare: ''ARMA: Armed Assault'' has you fighting the Commie-ish Democratic Republic of Sahrani, which is invading its southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Sahrani. ''ARMA II'' pits you against Commie rebels in Chernarus [[spoiler:and even brought back the Russians, though of the modern day non-Communist flavour]].

** ''ARMA III'' has NATO and the CTRG as BLUFOR, CSAT as OPFOR, and both the AAF and FIA as the INDFOR. That's just in the base game, by the way: with the other DLCs, you can add the Gendarmerie as BLUFOR; Viper Team, the Gendarmerie (in ''Old Man''), and Russian Spetsnaz as OPFOR; and Syndikat, the LDF, and Looters as INDFOR.
*** Interestingly subverted in ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''First Contact' campaign. [[spoiler: The tensions between NATO and LDF regarding what to do with the alien ship in Nadbór as well as Russian intrusions into the Livonian territory seems to be building up for a three way confrontation between NATO, LDF and Russia. However, when the whole situation goes completely FUBAR, both NATO and the Russians realized that they have to [[EnemyMine put aside their differences and work together]] in order to stop the LDF, which led to the final confrontation of the campaign with NATO ''and'' Russia on one side against the Livonians on the other.]]
** Interesting enough, the FIA can be placed as BLUFOR, OPFOR, ''and'' INDFOR. This is probably so they can be used both as a friendly resistance faction or an enemy insurgent group.

* MiddleEasternCoalition: CSAT. Its membership stretches much farther than most examples, with China at the top of the command chain, though it's still based in the Middle East, with ''every'' other Middle-Eastern country save Israel also part of it. Interestingly, the sheer amount of resources they can pool together from the alliance means [[TheEnemyWeaponsAreBetter they actually surpass NATO on the tech front in a lot of areas]].
* MildlyMilitary: Gameplay aside (where you can go as [[BunnyEarsLawyer bunny ears]] as the server and game mods allow) the story mode of ''ARMA III'' is one of the few justified and believable examples. Early in the campaign, the Task Force stationed at Stratis are mostly what remains of a larger contingent deployed on a political maneuver, lazily doing grunt work at a snail pace to dismantle everything, pack up, and go home. Discipline is lax, work is slow, the troops joke and mock each other, the superior officers (within earshot, who then snark right back), and ''especially'' their AAF allies. Then shit hits the fan, the task force is betrayed and after the survivors regroup, [[LetsGetDangerous they proceed to]] [[spoiler:almost]] take back the island in a single day, with no supplies network, no backup, no mechanized or aerial support and zero contact with the outside world.
* MilitaryScienceFiction: ''ARMA III'' has some elements of this: Most of the equipment is slightly futuristic, although mostly based in working prototypes or plausible equipment, [[spoiler:not to mention the Eastwinde Device, a machine that causes earthquakes]]. It gets full-blown Military Sci-Fi with the ''Contact'' DLC, where aliens show up.

** You'll have to do your best imitating RealLife military tactics to win the game, and no one ever says their jobs are easy. ''ARMA III'' takes it up a notch with its showcases, which serve as ''tutorials'' mind you, often being insane one-man commando missions. A good example is the "Night" showcase, where you're dropped off in an enemy-infested area under the cover of darkness and tasked with single-handedly causing as much havoc as possible. ''By yourself.'' '''Without night vision goggles.'''

* AttackItsWeakPoint: It's more than possible to defeat some vehicles using just small arms; for example, a helicopter can be forced into a crash landing by shooting out either of its rotors. It's still way harder than it sounds since it depends heavily on weapon caliber[[note]]the MX SW and the Zafir in ''ARMA III'' are both [=LMGs=] but the former is 6.5mm and the later is 7.62mm, meaning only the latter can actually damage vital vehicle parts[[/note]] and amazing skill[[note]]aiming at a moving vehicle will force you to compensate not only for bullet drop but also bullet travel time, and the variable distance means you'll have to do it on the fly, after each single shot[[/note]]. Particularly with the case of helicopters since, while they're in flight, there's little to no point of reference in the background to calculate their current distance or flight speed.

** The developer behind the ''Zeus'' DLC also is known to be a fanboy of the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter -- which made it into ''ARMA III'' despite its real-world cancellation, renamed the AH-99 Blackfoot.

* BeneathNotice: In a way. In the ''Apex Protocol'' campaign, NATO is in Tanoa for a politically-motivated humanitarian mission, and the CTRG is using that as cover for cyberwarfare and covert ops. They're completely unaware of [[spoiler:Viper Team, a CSAT special forces team specializing in toppling governments and destabilizing nations. They used the Eastwind Device to cause the tsunami and were funding the Syndikat terrorists to destabilize the Horizon Islands, until Syndikat stole the device for ransom, which Viper and CTRG fight to recover during the campaign.]] Indeed, they're packing up and ready to leave by the time NATO learns about their existence, their mission all but accomplished. Interestingly, it is explicitly stated that they don't actually care about NATO or the CTRG's presence in Tanoa, and indeed only engage them when they tand in their way [[spoiler:of recovering the Eastwind Device.]]

* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: ZigZagged by Lieutenant Collins and Sergeant Sturrock in ''ARMA III''[='=]s ''Tac-Ops'' DLC's ''Steel Pegasus'' campaign. Collins is [[EnsignNewbie a just Crewman]] who [[YouAreInCommandNow ends up being the highest officer alive]] in the [[spoiler:botched]] invasion, and given his blatant inexperience he's adamant of following his orders to the letter, no matter what. He is told to gather up the survivors in some RV point, and move them up to a safe zone. Sturrock is a SergeantRock solely by virtue of being technically outranked despite being TheLeader of a spec-ops team and having vastly more field experience, who is forced to disobey often. [[spoiler:Their first interaction is Sturrock and his team requesting some manpower to help fend off the attack on the RV flank, with collins refusing since his orders are simply to bring everybody to the RV]]

-->'''Pariah:''' ''[during the briefing, mortar shells start falling inside the perimeter]'' Damn, I was really hoping it would take a bit longer for them to get a bead on us.

* ChinaTakesOverTheWorld: In ''Arma III'', the Canton-Protocol Strategic Alliance Treaty (CSAT), led by Iran and China, is growing in global influence, while the United States and NATO is on the decline.

* ConcealmentEqualsCover: Averted to hell and back in ''ARMA III''. There are no man made impenetrable structures nor materials, although it depends heavily on caliber and distance, and the cover does help in deviating the bullets and slowing them down, making them less lethal. A 5.56 will barely penetrate even thin metal sheet, and not really do much damage to the target behind it. [[{{BFG}} A 9.3 caliber machine gun]], on the other hand will make short work of most covers up to 400m, and in close range or point blank? you might as well flight or fight, [[MoreDakka cause you sure as hell can't hide from her]].

** Played straighter in ''Apex Protocol'', where you play as a member of a NATO special forces team tasked with assisting the local government in ending the threat of the Syndikat. The DLC also introduces Viper Team, CSAT's special forces and their answer to the CTRG. [[spoiler: However, Miller appears in the DLC as well, and it's eventually revealed that the player characters are in the CTRG, the same unit Miller is in. The DLC also reveals that said unit [[CassandraTruth is indeed NATO special forces.]] This places the ''Apex'' NATO cast firmly within [[BlackAndGrayMorality the gray]] compared to the Vipers.]]

** In ''ARMA II'' it went like this:
*** U.S. Marine Corps are Powerhouse, Russia and the Chernarussian Defence Forces are Balanced, and the [=ChDKZ=] are Subversive. For ''Operation Arrowhead'', USMC is again powerhouse, the Takistani military is Balanced, and the Insurgents are Subversive.

* MeleeATrois: The scenario editor in all games (including ''VideoGame/OperationFlashpoint'') makes it possible to deliberately invoke this. There are two sides that are always hostile, ''BLUFOR'' and ''OPFOR'', and a third called "Indepedents" (Sometimes refered to GREENFOR or INDFOR) which can be set to be allied with either BLUFOR, OPFOR, neither, or neutral to all. All games in the series have at least one faction for each of the three sides:

** ''ARMA II'' has the U.S. Marine Corps and the local {{Ruritania}}'s army, the Chernarus Defense Forces, as ''BLUFOR'' fighting against the communist insurgents of the [[DirtyCommunists CHDKZ]] (And later the [[UsefulNotes/RussiansWithRustingRockets Armed Forces of the Russian Federation]]) as OPFOR. Indepedents are represented by the ''National Party'', a small [[WesternTerrorists nationalistic guerilla]] fighting against both CHDKZ and the Government forces (which can be recruited later to fight against the CHDKZ).
** ''ARMA II: Operation Arrowhead'' has the U.S. Army, the British Armed Forces, [[UsefulNotes/WeAreNotTheWehrmacht German]] ''[[UsefulNotes/WeAreNotTheWehrmacht Bundeswehr]]'' and the [[UsefulNotes/BohemiansWithBombers Army of the Czech Republic]] as ''BLUFOR'', fighting the [[{{Qurac}} Takistani Army]] as well [[MiddleEasternTerrorists pro-government militias]] as ''OPFOR'', while INDFOR is formed by Indepedent Militias (a PaletteSwap of the OPFOR militias), a Chernarusian contigent of UN Peacekeeping, and [[PrivateMilitaryContractors ION Services, Inc.]]
** ''ARMA III'' has NATO as BLUFOR, CSAT as OPFOR and both the AAF and FIA as the Indepedents. In the ''Prologue'' campaign and very beggining of ''The East Wind'', the AAF and NATO are allied but after CSAT invades the island [[spoiler:they convince the AAF leave their alliance with NATO in exchange for military and economical support.]] If the "Loyalty" ending is chosen [[spoiler:CSAT evacuates and leaves the AAF behind, resulting in their surrender]], however if the "Miller" ending is chosen [[spoiler:the CTRG steals the Eastwind Device, prompting CSAT to attack both NATO and the AAF in retaliation]].